Folded blank carton with handle bodily shiftable vertically



June 2, 1970 3,515,335

FOLDED BLANK CARTON WITH BANDLE BODILY SHIFTABLE VERTICALLY Filed May 27, 1968 w. G. ATKINSON 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 FIG.1

INVENTOR,

WILLIAM G. ATKINSON BYwwffi ATTORNEYS June 2, 1970 w, so 3,515,335

FOLDED BLANK CARTON WITH HANDLE BODILY SHIFTABLE VERTICALLY Filed May 27, 1968 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. WILLIAM 3 ATKINSON ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,515,335 FOLDED BLANK CARTON WITH HANDLE BODILY SHIFTABLE VERTICALLY William G. Atkinson, London, Ontario, Canada, assignor to Somerville Industries Limited, London, Ontario, Canada Filed May 27, 1968, Ser. No. 732,117

Int. Cl. B65d /46, 75/00, 25/128 U.S. Cl. 22952 7 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE This invention relates to a novel carton blank and to cartons constructed therefrom.

By weakened in relation to a line in blank material I include not only lines weakened by scoring or slotting, but also lines completely severed, usually by continuous cuts.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton blank and cartons constructed therefrom, having side, end, top and bottom walls for the enclosure of containers wherein separators for interpositioning between containers are foldable up from the bottom thereof.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton blank and cartons made therefrom, having side, end, top and bottom walls for the enclosure of containers wherein the top wall of such container is provided with weakened lines defining tear strips allowing the easy opening of the carton top, by tearing along such strips to provide access to said containers.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton blank and cartons made therefrom, having side, end, top and bottom walls wherein said top Wall is provided with a central portion operable to allow access to the containers, and end portion designed to support a handle member, the latter being formed with means to engage said end portions, and a manual engagement member connected to said engaging means.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton blank and cartons made therefrom, having side, top, end and bottom walls wherein said top wall is constructed having side portions sloping upwardly from the upper edge of the side walls to a central panel.

It is an. object of this invention to provide a carton as defined in the preceding paragraph wherein means are provided for removing the centre part of the top wall, leaving end portions adjacent each end well, and wherein manual engagement means are provided attached to bearing members at each end adapted to engage the end portions of said top wall, said bearing members forming bearing shoulders to allow said carton to be carried by said manual engagement means with said bearing shoulders in engagement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a carton as defined in the preceding paragraph and having manual engagement means retractable and extendable beyond said top walls.

It is an object of this invention to provide a handle for a carton having side, top, bottom and end walls, wherein said handle may be formed from folded carton 3,515,335 Patented June 2, 1970 material and wherein the materials forming the handle are designed to achieve a saving of such material.

It is an object of this invention to provide blanks and cartons constructed therefrom having side, end, top and bottom walls wherein portions of said top wall are sloping and deformations are provided to allow the projection of a portion of containers through said sloping portion whereby such deformation and projection aids in the positioning of said containers.

In drawings which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention,

FIG. 1 shows a blank for the formation of a carton in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 shows a blank for the handle forming member;

FIG. 3 shows a step in the assembly of the carton;

FIG. 4 shows the assembled handle forming member;

FIG. 5 shows the assembled carton with the top closed; and

FIG. 6 shows an assembled carton with the top open to allow removal of the containers.

In FIG. 1 is shown a blank separated by crease lines into panels, including bottom wall 10, to which are attached on each side, side walls 12 and 14 and on each end are lower end walls 16 and 18'. On the side of side wall 14 remote from bottom wall 10 is the panel defining top wall 20, while on each end of top wall 20 are upper end walls 22 and 24 of a shape to be discussed hereafter. On the side of top 20 remote from side wall 14 is a closure flap 2 6. All the panels described are substantially rectangular in shape, with the exception of top end panels 22 and 24, which are straight along the crease line which separates them from top 20 and on the opposite side 28 are curved convexly away from said crease line and on the other two sides 30 are provided with diverging sides extending outwardly from the crease line 50 to the outer edge. Otherwise, adjacent free edges of the bottom end walls 16 and 18 on the one hand and adjacent side walls 12 or 14 on the other hand are provided with extensions to form V-shaped members 32 pointing into the intersection of the crease lines for such side and bottom end Walls. A crease line 34 extending across the V-shaped member at 45 to the intersection of the crease lines allows the V-shaped member to be folded upon itself in the erection of the carton, as indicated in FIG. 3. The V-shaped members and a strip of wall 12 remote from wall 10 are provided with glue for use in the assembly of the carton.

Along the bottom 10 are provided container separator members 38 formed by a straight crease line 40 on one side and by cuts or otherwise weakened lines 42 on the other side, for use in rotation upwardly to act as spacers between the containers, as indicated in FIG. 3. The carton shown is provided to have containers arranged on the bottom in two rows extending lengthwise of the carton, that is, between the end walls. The crease lines 40 of the separator members 38 are hence adjusted to be located on the boundaries between the adjacent containers in a row. Hence, in the erected position of the carton, the erection of the separator members 38 leaves a hole in the bottom 10, and it will be obvious that to prevent accidental loss of containers the dimensions, or at least one of the dimensions of the area of a separator member 38-, must be less than the area of the container.

The top 20 is divided by a pair of longitudinal crease lines 44 extending at each end to the inward end of the diverging upper end walls crease lines 30. Adjacent the intersection of lines 44 and at the crease lines 50' between the top and the upper end walls, the top wall otherwise free edges nearest the side edges of the top end flap 22 or 24 and the corresponding edges of the top end flap 22 or 24 are provided with joined glueing flaps 46 or V form, which join along the line 48 approximately bisecting the angle between the top wall crease line and the diverging edges 30 of the top end wall. The V-shaped members 46 are preferably symmetrical about lines 48. As will be seen from FIG. 3, the design therefore provides that, when the top wall member is assembled by attaching the glued areas separated by such crease lines 48, it causes, since the angle between the end crease line of the top wall and the diverging lines of the top end walls is less than 90, the two outside panels of the top wall 20 to slope upwardly towards the central panel 62 in one case from the closure flap 26 and in the other case from the side wall 14. The two longitudinal crease lines 44 on the top wall are at spaced intervals curved outwardly to provide outward projections 64 from the central panel in convex outward form, as indicated in FIG. 5, covers for containers whose tops are, when resting on the bottom of the container, just lower in height than the central panel of the top wall, but on one side intersect the normal plane of the sloping panels 60. Such projections are defined preferably by cuts 66, although this could be performed by weakened lines of other types. A cut 69 is provided extending outwardly through the outside panel material 60 from the outside panel material bounding the central portion (looking transversely relative to the carton) of the convexity and perpendicular or substantially perpendicular to the top wall crease lines 44. From the outer end of each cut 66, which is provided to allow material from the sloping panels 60 to deflect upwardly to allow the outer part of the top of the container to emerge to the outer panel, crease lines 68 are provided, diverging to be approximately tangent to the outer part of the convexity of cut 66. Longitudinally extending across the centre of the central panel is a slot 70 to allow the projection of manual engagement means. On each side of the central portion of slot 70 are a pair of laterally extending cuts or other weakened lines 72 with their ends remote from the slot joined by a fold line 74 to allow insertion of the fingers for retraction of the manual engagement means.

On the top wall, spaced inwardly from each end 50, are provided weakened lines 76 extending transversely across the top wall, and in the preferred embodiment the weakened line 76 leads in to the cut 66 leading to the convexities 64 corresponding to the end containers, and then the weakened line 76 extends between the opposed cuts 66 for the convexities 64. At about the central portion of the transversely extending lines 76, a weakened line 78 leads longitudinally of the central panel to join the two end weakened lines 76, and in the preferred embodiment, such weakened lines 76 extend to each end of the slot 70. The

material of the top panels 60 and 62 between opposed lines 76 forms tear strips for a purpose to be hereinafter discussed.

The carton so far described can be assembled in the manner indicated in FIG. 3 but before this is completed, the handle member must be inserted to take in its retracted position the positions shown in FIG. 5. A blank for the handle member means is shown in FIG. 2. This comprises a pair of manual engagement members 80, each defined by a substanitally rectilinear aperture 82 for insertion of the fingers with what is to be the upper portion of the aperture 82 supplied with convex outward tabs 84. The two manual engagement means are symmetrical and also symmetrical with relation to the fold line 86 between them; and longitudinal extensions 88 are attached thereto running parallel to the central fold line 86 and to the intended longitudinal orientation of the handle member in the box. These longitudinal extensions extend in such direction in each side of the manual engagement members to provide in all a length of approximately the length of the carton with the manual engagement means 80 substantially centered in the longitudinal extension 88. On one of the longitudinally extending members there is provided, on the side remote from the manual engagement means, a fold line 92 parallel to line 86, and on the other side of said fold line 92 there is provided a third replica 94 of one of the symmetrical manual engagement means 80 and extension 88 and, as will be seen from FIG. 4, the replica is in assembly folded inward about its defining crease line 92 toward the symmetrical crease line 86, and the material is then folded about the symmetrical crease line 86 to form a laminar manual engagement means and extensions. In order to achieve a proper fit, the edge of the third manual engagement means remote from extension 88 is shortened slightly compared to the two symmetrical members since the third member is folded inside the other. On one of the symmetrical members remote from the symmetrical fold line 86 is provided an extension 96 for attachment of bearing members projecting at right angles thereto, as indicated in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, at each end of the extension 96 are means for forming laminated bearing members 98, each having three upper edges 100, 102 and 104 to bear at the same time against the panels 60, 62 and 60, respectively, of the top member (adjacent the ends thereof) and to have two side edges 106 and a bottom edge 108.

Hingedly attached to the extension 96 (as shown in FIG. 2) for folding at right angles thereto along a line 110 perpendicular to the line symmetry of the two members 86 is a member 112 having the form of half the laminated bearing member 98, when the member 98 is considered as divided along a vertical line in the assembled position of the handle. Hinged to the member 112 is a further half 1 14, and this is hinged along a line 115 to be horizontal in the assembled position of the carton to supply a double half. Continuously extending therefrom into the space between the symmetrical longitudinal extensions 88 i a piece of carton material 116 shaped to form the other half of the member, while hingedly attached across line 120, designed to be vertical in the assembled carton, is a further half 118 for folding to the half 116. The four halves, designed to form a double thickness across the expanse of the bearing member 98, are folded thusly: member 118 180 about line 120; members .118, 116 and 114 180 about line 115, and member 118, 116, 114 and 112 90 about line 110, to bring the now assembled bearing member 98 into position shown in FIG. 4, and glued material is provided to cause adherence of mutually facing half members, as indicated. In the assembled members there are thus formed bearing edges being the upper edges of the members. Glueing is also provided on the surface of the symmetrical members 88 and 80, which are to be facing and on one side of the member 94. Accordingly, the handle may be assembled by folding the third member 94 to join a symmetrical member (about line 92) and then folding the members about the line of symmetry 86 and forming the bearing members as indicated. It will be appreciated that this handle member may then be placed in position in the box before the cover is attached by fiap 26 and that the handle will rest in a position shown in FIG. 5. With the assembled carton, it will be seen that the handle in its retracted position, and, to some extent, in its extended position, acts as a divider between the adjacent central rows of the containers, while the bearing portions 130 slide between the end containers of rows and the end walls 16 or 18. With the carton closed as indicated in FIG. 5 to extend the handle with the cover closed, then it is merely necessary to depress the material between weakened lines 72 in order to get the fingers into the aperture 82 in the manual engagement member and to withdraw the manual engagement member, which may be slid outwardly through slot 70 to allow carrying the carton without the necessity of opening it. At this time the bearing member 130 is bearing the portions of the top wall between the pair of weakened line 76 in such top wall and the end walls 16 and 18, and thus the presence of weakened lines '76 and 78 does not jeopardize the carrying of the carton by the handle.

To open the container it is merely necessary to grasp portions of the central top panel 62 on each side of the slot 70 and pull them outwardly relatively to each other whereby tearing first takes place along the central longitudinal weakened lines 78 in the centre part of the top panel 62 and next takes place along the opposed weakened line 76 spaced from each end of the container. In this way, as is shown in FIG. 6, the top wall member may be opened and the containers withdrawn at will. Because the bearing members 130 of the handle bear upwardly on the portions of the top wall spaced outside of the torn lines 76, it will be noted that the handle may be used to carry a container even when the latter is opened.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. In a paperboard carton comprising side, end, top and bottom walls, wherein a spaced pair of weakened tear lines extend across said top wall and weakened tear lines extend from each of said pair of tear lines intermediate the ends thereof towards the other of said pair of tear lines intermediate the ends thereof adapted to form a line of severence that extends between said pair of tear lines when torn, each of said pair of weakened tear lines being spaced from and adjacent an opposed end of said top 'wall running generally in the direction parallel to its respective end of said top wall, in combination with a handle member comprising bearing members adapted to engage the top wall at each end thereof, outwardly of the adjacent one of said pair of tear lines, said bearing members being connected by a junction member provided with a manual engagement means.

2. A paperboard carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carton and said handle have a height that said han- 6 dle, including said manual engagement means, may be received beneath said top wall.

3. A paperboard carton a claimed in claim 2, wherein said top 'wall and said manual engagement means is designed to be movable upwardly.

4. A paperboard carton as claimed in claim 3, wherein said handle member has a height that said bearing members bear up on the portions of said top wall spaced out- Wardly of said pair of tear lines 'when said manual engagement means is extending upwardly.

5. A paperboard carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said carton is designed to support a plurality of rows of containers resting on the bottom wall of said carton, and said junction member is designed to extend between adjacent rows of containers.

6. A paperboard carton as claimed in claim 5, wherein said bearing member are designed to slide between the end containers of said rows and the adjacent end wall.

7. In a paperboard carton as claimed in claim 1, wherein said top wall is foldably attached to one of said side walls and is attachable to the other of said side walls.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,163,290 6/1939 Powell 22952 2,916,196 12/1959 Kramer et a1. 229-52 3,034,682 5/1962 Curran 229-52 JOSEPH R. LECLAIR, Primary Examiner S. E. LIPMAN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 220105, 109, 118 

